King: No comment on Tyson return

Promoter Don King shot down a rumor making the rounds Friday that he had a deal to promote former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a third fight with Evander Holyfield, but he was evasive about whether he was in talks with Tyson about a comeback against somebody else.

An Internet report citing “a source close to Tyson” said King had a tentative deal for Tyson to return later this year to face Holyfield, but if that didn’t happen there was “a plan B.”

“My man, that is just wishful thinking,” King told ESPN.com on Friday when asked about a third Holyfield-Tyson fight. “It is not true. It is not true about no Tyson-Holyfield fight. That’s wishful thinking. Maybe it’s something I would do for old time’s sake if they were interested in the fight, but I ain’t doing that at this time. I have not even spoken to Evander Holyfield.”

However, when asked about whether he was working with Tyson on a comeback fight against another opponent, King did not deny it.

“I ain’t ready to comment on that,” King said. “Read between the lines. It really is something isn’t it, all the interest there is in Mike Tyson?”

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), 43, has not fought since he announced his retirement after journeyman Kevin McBride made him quit in 2005. It was the third time in four bouts that Tyson was stopped. Another journeyman, Danny Williams, knocked him out in 2004 and he was hammered by then-champion Lennox Lewis in a 2002 title fight.